If Beale Street Could Talk (15)

Barry Jenkins’ follow-up to his ground-breaking, Oscar-winningMoonlight is this exquisite romantic drama based on James Baldwin’s novel. Moving back and forth through time, we meet Tish and Fonny, lovers in ‘70s Manhattan, whose bond is tested when Fonny is falsely accused of a crime. As he awaits trial, Tish tries desperately to get him released while her mother must decide how far she will go to secure her daughter’s future. Like Moonlight, it’s emotionally devastating, focused not just on the characters’ relationshipswith each other but also with their haunting interior lives andthe spaces in between. Jenkins adds to the pantheon of black cinema with something celebratory – a lyrical story of community and love – even as he depicts tremendous pain. Unmissable.

“Given the film’s unabashed belief in love, it’s satisfying to feelso much while watching it. Sensorily and emotionally, it’s an almost overwhelming experience.”